Anseiji Ningyou
by Tsukiko hoshino
Summary: It seemed like all women were born with an inherent curiosity. Pandora with her box that unleashed the plagues and suffering upon the earth, and now Keiko who has opened a box and let something far less threating out. Atleast in Her own eyes. YusukeXKeiko
1. Pandora's Weakness Is Your Own

Tsuki: Ohayo minna-san! This is my second story, and hopefully it will start out on a better foot then my last one. The title of this story, is, Anseiji Ningyou. This means resting doll. this story will be KeikoxYusuke. Not subject to change. Tsuki will more then likely be placed with Hiei-kun XD we'll see how it rolls?

This is set, after the Yuu Yuu hakusho series had ended, and the only thing that's changed, is Yusuke came back a little late. (Are you interested yet? promise it'll be good.) So it's been a total of eight years, and Keiko has gone to college, and become an archeologist/History major. I'll try my best to pull this off! A bit of math, before we start, Keiko was 15, when Yusuke left for Makai. (in my world...) So 3 years he said, but another five were added with his unpunctuality. The dictionary and reference is at the bottom of the page.

'...' Thoughts.  
"..." speach  
_'Hell.'_ Youko/ Telepathy (Hiei.)

Ages:  
Keiko: 23

Kuwabara: 24  
Yusuke: 24 (but is beginning to become more Mazoku, as such his aging is slowing.)  
Kurama: 25  
Youko: 1,374, roughly 27-ish but has stopped aging.  
Hiei: 998, roughly going on 20 but has stopped aging.  
Tsuki: 868, roughly 17.36

(other's to be added later)

* * *

Anseiji Ningyou  
By: Tsuki Jaganshi

* * *

Keiko had just returned home after a long day of work, when she found a rather peculiar package sitting outside her door. It was wrapped in brown paper and tied with string, yellow from age. There was no return address, or indication of where it had come from, but she brought it inside and opened it regardless. Thinking back on it, much like Pandora, her curiosity won over her commonsense. What Keiko found inside, startled her at first.. When she'd opened it up, the first thing Keiko had noticed, was that the text inside didn't match anything she was used too. The reason for that was because it was written in three sets of different characters. Chinese, Korean, and Japanese, mixed in their usage with no rhyme or reason. That made it rather difficult to read, but Keiko was stubborn and persisted.

With a lot of begging, and help from numerous colleagues at the museum she was working at Keiko had managed to get a halfway decent translation out of the scroll. Keiko took the scroll with her almost everywhere, it was an unhealthy fascination that she could shake, slowly over the course of a few weeks, and she'd made the decision to follow the scrolls direction. 'It could be the find of a life time…' If the scroll was legit, it would mean a number of things. Solidifying the history Japan had with its ancient neighbors, but not only that, who knew what the map led to. It was something most people only dreamed of as children. To be able to find something, old and priceless, like someone out of a movie, even Keiko couldn't shake the rush she felt at imagining it.

"You should put this silly thing out of your head. It's just a sham…and anyone with adequate qualification would know it. " Tokugawa Sadao was frowning down at her through his square glasses. "That artifact is probably a fake, and you're wasting valuable time and resources on it..." Sadao pushed his glasses up fruitlessly, only to have them slide back down his slim nose. Ever the cynic the man always seemed to spread negativity where ever he went. Keiko on the other hand was not to be deterred. "I appreciate your opinion; however what I do with my own property, is my own business." She smiled politely. "If however, you have a problem, please speak with our supervisor." With that, she turned tail and walked away calmly.

After her incident with Tokugawa, Keiko put in for vacation time. Everything in her life was put on hold; She was busy making preparations for her trip. Keiko didn't even bother making calls to the people who would worry most about her. Since moving away from Tokyo, she'd kept in contact with them, although she was pretty sure the only reason Kurama bothered keeping in touch with her, was for Yusuke's behalf. Not that it mattered anymore.

As if triggered by the thought of Kurama and the others, Yusuke came into her mind. Keiko tended to push thinking about the boy as far from her mind as possible, it only led to pain, and anger…'Mostly anger.' Keiko acknowledged when her fists clenched reflexively.

When those three years came, the promised day had come and gone, Keiko paid no mind. One day was nothing, Yusuke was never punctual, and three years wouldn't change that. When a day became a year later, and Kurama had long since returned before him, she'd been upset, maybe a bit angry, but mostly she had worried. Had Yusuke forgotten about her? Had he been injured or worse? Keiko knew it couldn't be the latter, because of puu's continuing existence. It didn't keep her from worrying however.

She moved to continue her education, but often visited and kept tabs on the friends she had made, all the while keeping an eye out for Yusuke. When that year became two, and two became three, she became bitter. Finally, Keiko just gave up waiting. Five years late, was enough to do that to a girl. 'Who would wait eight years?' She felt more than justified. If Yusuke had sent a letter, had done something, anything to let her know what was going on, Things would have…could have been different.

'I Loved Yusuke, but just because you love someone, doesn't mean everything is going to work out all perfect. With butterflies and rainbows...' Keiko mused, as she glanced up from the magazine she was reading. Keiko was waiting on a friend to find some maps. It briefly crossed her mind, that Kurama would probably have been a valuable resource on her little expedition. 'But its best to stay as far away from anything Yusuke related…' Keiko was a fast learner, and knew better then to play with fire. That was the whole reason she didn't except the position back in Tokyo.

"Alright…" A woman with thick black hair walked out, holding a few maps. Her face was rather triumphant. "I managed to scrounge up what you were looking for." Keiko smiled appreciatively as she stood up; shoulder her purse in the process. "I owe you big time, Miyu." The brunette admitted sheepishly. "You certainly do…You can start by telling me what you're planning to do." Keiko raised a brow at the older woman in amusement. "What makes you think I'm up to something?"

Kyuusui Miyu smiled slowly. "You're trying to tell me, you've gone through all this trouble, just to look at a piece of paper? If that's the case you wouldn't have asked for these maps." She pointed out. Miyu worked in the department of natural resources. She had majored in Geology, not to mention she had attended the same college as Keiko. Miyu was probably the closest person Keiko had in Shibuya.

"You got me there." Keiko smiled sheepishly, as the older woman motioned for her to follow her back into the office. "If you're going, don't you think you should take someone with you?" Miyu frowned at her slightly. "It's a long trip from the mainland to these islands; it'll be hard to stay up that long…Besides you don't know how to work a boat." Keiko sighed at this, it was all true. "Your right…I suppose I wasn't thinking.' She sunk into the chair opposite of the desk.

Miyu smirked at the shorter girl. "Demo, I on the other hand, am a very proficient sailor, not to mention the fact I can read a map far better then you." She pointed out. Keiko raised a brow. "Is that an offer?" She grinned when Miyu nodded her head ecstatically. "I think it will be interesting." Miyu explained, as reason for her desire to go aboard. "And if you went alone, I would worry." She smiled sheepishly. "You're a good friend." Keiko stood up. "If it's okay, will you be ready to leave at the end of the week?"

"Of course." Miyu nodded her head. "I already called out." She smirked. "Ah, you're so sly, planning to stowaway if I had said now?" Keiko giggled when Miyu looked to the side guiltily. "You should act your age." She pointed out before leaving the room with her things. "Ah, but that's never any fun." Miyu pouted to herself.

At the end of the week, they had used the subways to go from Shizouka, to Nagoya where there at the edge of the coast they found a port and entered a large rental shop. Keiko looked around the building absently, while Miyu handled the boat issue. She became slightly startled by the old woodblock print showcased on one of the walls. It was reminiscent of the great wave of Kanagawa by Hokusai Katsushika. The difference was, the sky was pitch black, and the moon hung high over the water as its pale blue waters crested over. There were no boats in the water, but Keiko could see a island in the distance.

"Rather captivating isn't it?" an old withered voice spoke from behind her. "Ah!" Keiko jumped slightly, placing a hand over her heart as it pounded against her rib cage "You scared me…" She stated sheepishly upon turning around. "I apologize; you just seemed rather interested in it." The grandfatherly looking man from behind her spoke.

"I've never soon this one before." Keiko admitted, glancing back to it briefly. "It's an original…It's been passed down from to the oldest male in the family long before I was born." He admitted. "I'm sorry, I didn't introduce myself, my name is Nagataki Isao." The old man bowed, seemingly with little trouble. "Yukimura keiko." She smiled politely, before bowing herself. "I've never heard of the Nagataki's before." She admitted sheepishly. "Ah, we don't venture out of this area." Isao explained. "Where is it that you and your friend are headed?" He asked curiously.

Keiko shook her head slightly. "You've probably never heard of it, but it's a small island in the Sea of Japan called Kagashima." Isao's once smiling face had quickly faded. "You should be careful, that place is said to be haunted or something like that. No one really goes their either, although that's likely because not many people know of its existence." He admitted on afterthought. "But you do." Keiko pointed out, she'd never heard of the island herself until recently. "My family has always dealt with the sea." Isao motioned around the shop for example. "The islands around Japan, whether well known or not, we have at one time or another been there…Looks like your friend is waiting for you." He pointed out with a brief smile. "Please remember to be careful, and honor the island, lest it become angry."

"Of course." Keiko trailed off, watching him walk away. 'It's not surprising that he's so superstitious about the island, that's common.' But she couldn't shake off the feeling creeping over her. Keiko turned to Miyu and grinned slowly. "We ready?" she pushed the incident out of her mind, and Miyu nodded and led her out to the port.

The next three days were spent sailing over the waters, every now and then Miyu would pass the helm off to Keiko, usually in the day, while she slept and took up at night allowing Keiko to sleep. The first day had been spent slowly teaching her the basics of how a boat worked. They made a brief stop to refuel at a large port on the island of Oshima. Keiko was just lucky she hadn't gotten sea sick, considering the rocking never stopped. The trip was rather slow and filled with anticipation on both girls.

"We're about an hour away." Miyu stated as she looked through pair of binoculars, seeing a distant island. "I can see why they named it Kagashima." She mused, handing the device over to the other girl. "Oh?" Keiko raised a brow curiously, before looking at the island. It was filled with beautiful shades and hues of red, yellow, white and green from the trees and flowers blooming everywhere. Even at the distance they were at, if the breeze blew just right she was able to smell the flowers. "You should pack the stuff we'll need." Miyu directed her, suddenly feeling more energetic then she had in days.

"Why don't you rest, for an hour and let me take the helm." Keiko suggested. "Are you sure?" Miyu frowned in concern. "I'm positive, you haven't slept yet." The brunette pointed out, only to be waved off. "Who needs sleep?" Miyu flashed her a tired smile, but went below deck regardless. Keiko laughed at this, before shrugging it off, and taking the helm.

The next hour passed silently, before Miyu came up from below deck, after packing the flashlights, and other survival gear. She'd pulled on a pair of hiker boots, and tied them snugly. Miyu adjusted shouldered her own pack, before grabbing handing Keiko her already packed bag. "Ready?" she asked, before handing Keiko's boots with her free hand."Ah, thanks." Keiko stated appreciatively as she tugged them on, and tied them tightly. She pulled the scroll out of the cylindrical tube it was placed inside.

Miyu leaned over her shoulder, looking at the map that had been sketched on the old worn paper. From the distance she was at, she could see the rocky outcrop. "That's it." She stated, as she pointed out the stone. "It's a rather simple map if you ask me, considering that's where it ends." There were no more drawings on the map, other than the picture of the island, with a small red dot overtop of the outcropping. "Well, I guess we better get going." Keiko grinned, before climbing ashore. It was good that soon after she went away for college, Keiko had decided to take survival lessons, because the outcropping was not as easy to get to as it looked.

From the shore, to the landmark she was making her way to, the island was covered in dense forest, but the outcrop was large, so as long as you went straight you could reach it easily. "How pretty…" Keiko trailed off, when her eyes caught site of a red, white and yellow bird. When the sun shined through the trees just right she could have sworn that yellow really was gold. It was so well camouflaged in the red flowered tree.

"I think that's called a bird of paradise." Miyu pointed out, upon seeing the bird. 'But I didn't know there were any around this area…' she mused, before turning her attention to climbing over a fallen tree.

Keiko glanced away from the bird to look at the compass in her hand. 'We're headed easy.' She noted, before scaling the log as well. It took a lot longer to reach their intended destination then originally thought. What seemed like only a mile or two turned out to be three or four.

It was mid afternoon when they finally reached the outcrop which turned out to be the upper attachment to a waterfall. "Let's see…" Miyu tilted her head to the side, before making her way into the water. At its deepest point, which was the middle, it only came up to her waist. In the mean time Keiko placed her bag, and the scroll on the edge of the water side, for a quick break. Miyu tested her theory as she waded into the clear water. "I think there's a cavern behind here." She pointed at the waterfall, with a free hand. The other was groping for the flashlight at her side.

"That would make sense." Keiko admitted, as she glanced down at the scroll, remember a translation of one of the bottom phrases. 'Through the water…' She supplied, before shouldering her bag once more. Miyu had stuck a hand through the curtain of water, motioning for the other girl to follow her in. Keiko shivered slightly as she waded into the cool water, glad it was just the beginning of fall.

Keiko stuck her hands out blindly, when following after Miyu, her eyes closed to protect them from the rushing waters. Her hands met Miyu's who guided her in. Keiko wiped her eyes as they adjusted to the darkness; the only point of light in the cavern was Miyu's flashlight.

'It definitely goes further back.' She turned away to retrieve a flashlight out of her bag, before shouldering it once more. 'The scroll is coated in wax, so it should be fine…' Keiko flicked the light on, and pointed it down the cavern. "There's a tunnel." She pointed out, moving in front of Miyu to walk along the wall, using it to help keep her footing in the dark. There was a shallow layer of water underneath her feet. Keiko blinked when she came across a pair of steps leading down. "There are steps, so be careful." She forewarned Miyu.

"Right…" Miyu affirmed, as she followed behind her slowly, looking at the floor with concentration.

The width of the tunnel was thick enough to hold at least three people side by side, and still have enough space not to touch. Keiko took notice that the reflection of the water behind her, left rippling lines of light along the ceiling. "This place is beautiful…" Keiko trailed off, hardly believing it was deserted. 'Oshima had been uninhabited as well, but they utilized it for mining and ports…' She remembered the old withered man for a moment, and what he'd said. Kagashima would have been a perfect vacation area. The only thing that apparently kept people way was superstition.

"Yea, but you know how it is; I mean even these days you still see signs warning people about Kappa's." Miyu chuckled. "If people still believe in those, they'll believe in anything, even curses and ghosts." Keiko smiled slowly at this. "I take it you don't?" There was no question about if Keiko believed in them or not, considering she'd seen things like that first hand.

"Of course not, I believe in science, and the earth, not monsters and myths." Miyu elaborated. "But I take it you do?" She watched Keiko shrug gingerly. "I don't think the world can be explained by science alone. Something more must exist." Miyu tilted her head thoughtfully at the comment. "I suppose so." She admitted. Keiko stepped off the stairs, and walked through a large door way leading into a circular room. "Wow…" she numbly heard Miyu speak from behind her.

The room unlike the passageway they had come through was brightly lit by beams of sunlight, sinking into the room by holes in the rock ceiling.

Everything was in such good condition, it almost seemed like Sadao had been right. Like someone had set everything up. The water pooled just outside the slightly raised door way, creating a small water fall effect on the last step. The room was filled with silks of red, gold and silver, There were holes in the top of the cavern, allowing sun light to drift in. "That's strange." Miyu admitted, upon stepping into the room, and touching some of the fine embroidered cloth. "If there are holes, Combined with the moisture outside the room, these things shouldn't be in such great condition.' She sniffed the silk. "But it smells clean, and dry…like it was just washed recently." They smelled like flowers, Miyu noted briefly, unable to determine what the exact flower was.

"Hmm…" Keiko murmured, as she fingered one of the expensive Kimono's, before turning her attention to a chest pushed up against a wall. "Your right…" She stated. 'Wood that's had prolonged exposure to water over a long period of time rots.' She thought, before bending down to open the large chest. It took her a few moments to find the buttons on either side. 'That's interesting.' Keiko mused, becoming engrossed in the moment as she pressed them, causing the top of the box to spring up, revealing beautiful circular white pearls strung together with rubies. "These are real." Keiko stated, pulling a strand out, it was a necklace, strung like lace.

"I'm pretty sure this is too." Miyu stated, after opening another chest as well. She held up a single flawless diamond. The whole chest was filled with loose gems. "Whoever these things belong to, they must have been rather rich…" She left the sentence hanging, walking around the treasure filled room. "Do you think it's a burial site?" she raised a brow, really having no knowledge on the subject besides what she'd read or heard. Keiko shook her head slightly, a frown settling into place. "It might be…but if it is, then we should turn it in right away."

"Shouldn't we turn it in, either way?" Miyu tilted her head, walking around the room slowly her eyes caught site of an armoire. "It could be the soil, or other deposits." She supplied for a moment, pulling the armoire open to reveal extravagant western clothing. "Look at this." She pulled a pale blue and gold dress out; it was made for the size of a small child. "Do you think maybe we came across some sort of black market storage?" Keiko glanced over at the dress in amusement. "We should." Keiko admitted wistfully, before continuing. "I don't know…There isn't any real way to date this stuff until we get back to a lab." She explained, climbing to her feet after closing the chest.

"Yea…" Miyu murmured, after noticing a inconsistency in the cavern wall. "I think there is something else here." She pointed at it, feeling around the area with her hands. Slowly, with the pressure she was applying to the wall it fell away creating a bridge leading over a small moat of water. Keiko jumped slightly at the loud thud it made. "Nice eye." She mused, knowing that if it had been her alone, she'd never have noticed. "Thanks to years of studying rocks, dirt, and more rocks. Rather useful I suppose." Miyu snickered, before walking along the plank, after flicking her flashlight on once more. The thick stone led across to a small circular pad, onto of which rested a narrow stone box.

"Is that…?" Miyu trailed off letting the question hang, as Keiko walked in front of her cautiously.

"I don't know." She admitted, running her fingers over the lid. There where carvings on the top, once more using interchangeable Korean, Japanese, and Chinese. There were two Kanji She was able to read without trouble. 'Tsukiko, which is a first name…and Hoshino, is probably a surname." Keiko mused, the clothes they had seen moments ago made a bit of sense now. "Help me open this." She motioned towards the box, barely hesitating.

If she had stopped to think of it, once more Keiko would have noted the similarities in her situation to that of Pandora's. Both girls were presented with a box, with the option to open it, or to walk away. One would change the world; the other would leave it rest. The issue in Keiko's case was this; what would opening the box present? Would it bring plague and pestilence to the world or something more? It didn't seem to matter, considering the thought never crossed her mind.

"Okay." Miyu moved to the opposite side of the box hesitantly. She was not a history expert, nor an archeologist. Keiko smiled at her comfortingly, her curiosity fueling adrenaline. Both girls now stood on either side of the box, their hands gripping the lids edges tightly, before prying it off. Keiko and Miyu shuffled to the side, setting the heavy slab of stone off to the side. There was no stench of death that wafted out of the box, but the sweet scent of flowers once more.

Keiko straightened up, shinning her own flashlight into the box now. Her eyes went wide, Eye brows arching up in shock at what she saw. Nestled inside, against heavily embroidered red and black silks was a small girl with long flowing locks of silver. Her thick charcoal colored lashes pressed against her pale skin in sleep. The paleness of her skin was in contrast to the dark red of her lips, and the markings of similar coloring just above her eye lashes. 'How pretty…' Keiko noted absently, still numb from the discovery. She was dressed in a black ceremonial kimono embroidered with Pale white, red and yellow lotus like flowers. The obi was white and printed with gold and red spirals. In her hair someone had lovingly twined pearls and rubies, half way covering the small furry ears that tipped her head. Keiko was instantly reminded of what Youko Kurama had looked like during the first and only time she'd seen him.

"It must be a doll…" Miyu looked into the box with shock. There was no way it could be a real person. "But I've never seen anyone make one of a Kitsune like that." She noted. Keiko nodded numbly, reaching out to touch the skin, expecting to feel cold porcelain. Instead it met with warm skin. She swallowed heavily. "Anno…It's not." She looked into Miyu's wide eyes. "That's impossible!" Miyu placed a hand in front of the girls slightly parted lips, only to feel warm air. "Your right…" she murmured in shock.

Keiko had known things like this existed, but she never thought she would come across a situation like this. "We should go." Miyu stated, standing up shakily. She hadn't believed in things like Youkai since she was a child. 'If something like this exists, then I suppose Kappa may too…' That made her feel a little squeamish, especially considering the fact they would be back on the water soon. She was perfectly prepared to leave this place and try to forget all about it.

Keiko on the other hand, shook her head wildly. "We can't leave her here!" Miyu looked at the other girl like she'd grown another head; She couldn't understand why Keiko would want to take a Youkai with her, much less a Kitsune. Many of them were notoriously vicious. Although on the other hand, many of them were rather helpful such as the messengers of Inari. That unfortunately did not cross her mind. "Well we can't take her with us, she's a monster!" Keiko frowned at the older girl. "You don't know that; it's so quick to judge what you don't understand." She stated, looking back at the girl for a moment. Miyu's eyes softened, as she looked back to the sleeping creature as well. "I don't." she admitted. "Not for sure at least….but she's been sleeping since she was placed here apparently. Who's to say she'll wake up?" Miyu pointed out.

"And who's to say she won't?" Keiko rebuked. It didn't sit right with her to leave someone behind, whether Youkai or Ningen. Those were probably her own abandonment issues talking. Miyu sighed. "Alright but your responsible for her, and anything she does, not Me." She stated firmly "Got it?" She felt a bit like a mother, telling her daughter to take care of her new pet. Keiko smiled at her slowly. "I understand." She reached in, and gripped the girl's upper body, pulling her limp form out of the casket like box.

"She's connected to something." Miyu interrupted, pointing out the thin I.V like cord attached to the Silver haired girls wrist. "Could you get it for me?" Keiko requested, shifting the girl. 'I assume it was your name on the box." The girl whimpered slightly when Miyu tugged the cord from her wrist. The sound instantly reminded the two conscious women of a wounded puppy. "Aw…" Miyu pouted. It was hard to dislike something so cute, even when it was thought to be dangerous. "Let's head out…" Keiko trailed off, there was definitely not going to be any reporting of this place to the authorities.

"Do you think we should take some of these things with us?" Miyu motioned around the room, figuring they belonged to the girl. "It's probably not a bad idea." Keiko admitted. "Grab some clothes, and I'll pack away some of the other things. She was thankful the pale girl was only the size of an adolescent. It made her much easier to carry and set down. Keiko pulled her bag off, and set a few things from each of the chests in the room into it, as Miyu picked through the clothing, selecting about five different pieces.

'I think she's grown since the last time she wore some of this.' The geologist noted, glancing at the sleeping girl before zipping the bag closed. "Ready?" she looked at Keiko for approval.

"Hai." Keiko nodded her head, and shouldered the bag once more, before lifting the girl up once more, said girl cuddled up to the brunette sleepily. 'I really couldn't imagine something like her causing trouble.' Keiko smiled down at the angelic face once more. 'But then I suppose some people used to look at Hiei the same way.' She mused, following after Miyu and her flash light.

For a while, the stood just outside the exit of the channel. Keiko worried about startling the girl with the cool water. "If she wakes up, she wakes up." Miyu pointed out. "There's nothing we can do about that." Keiko nodded her head at this, before closing her eyes and walking under the rushing water. The girl clung to Keiko instinctively, but did not wake. Her face had scrunched up into a childlike expression of displeasure. Keiko couldn't grasp who, or why they had put her away like that. 'Something like that should only be done to the dead.' A frown marred her face; something didn't sit right with her about this at all.

Miyu trailed behind the other two at a slower pace, her attention was on the birds that had collected in the trees lining the path back to the boat. "Anno…Keiko…" She trailed off, leaving the girl to look at her curiously. "What is it?" Miyu pointed at the birds, who sat high up in the trees, looking down at them with cocked head. There was a strange intelligence inside their eyes. It left both girls feeling unsettled. There was not a rustle of feathers, a squawk or a chirp. The birds just stared.

Keiko shuddered at the blank stares, her heart moving a little quicker, along with her legs. Their trip back to the boat went much quicker this time. Miyu climbed up first, and took the girl from Keiko's arms, easily hoisting the small form up. "I have a bad feeling." The woman murmured, as Keiko bobbed her head in agreement. "Yea, but I don't think it has anything to do with her." She motioned towards the girl. "Maybe, maybe not." Miyu affirmed. "But there's no way to know just yet." She set the resting girl on one of the bench seats, noticing for the first time she wore no shoes, and in fact had a furry tail to match the ears.

As soon as Keiko had climbed aboard the boat, the once silent island seemed to come alive again. The loud chirping and peeping of the birds was almost heaven sent. Miyu didn't bother asking who would take the night shift; something in her eyes already seemed to affirm both the girls' thoughts. There was no way they could sleep after what had just happened. Their hearts finally slowed down when they were hours out to sea.

"So who do you think she is?" Miyu yawned quietly, as she glanced over to Keiko, who was covering the shivering form with a blanket. "I have no idea." The brunette admitted. "But she was obviously well off." That at least was certainly true. "And well loved…Which doesn't make much sense why anyone would box her away like that." Keiko had not intended to make a pun. "I'm more concerned about what's going to happen when she wakes up…Everything will be different." If judging by the scrolls dating was anything to go on.

Miyu nodded her head slowly. "I suppose so…" She yawned, only to have Keiko look up at her. "Why don't you get some sleep…I'll take the helm for a while." The brunette suggested, ushering the older woman below deck. "Alright, just be careful." Miyu murmured, sparing a glance to their newest companion, before disappearing below deck.

They were a day away from the main Island of Japan, when their newest companion finally awoke, frightened and quaking. With good reason, both Miyu and Keiko had been hovering over her as she stirred. She looked up at Keiko with large Blue green eyes, filled with un-spilled tears. "Ah, You don't have to be scared." Keiko reached out to brush a few strands of fine silver hair from the girl's face, only to be shied away from.

Miyu pulled back, giving her a bit of space. Her prior fears having been dispelled after seeing the girls face, along with hearing the stories of Keiko's experiences. 'Poor thing is probably scared out of her mind.' She noted mentally.

"Your name, It is Hoshino-san right?" Keiko tilted her head to side, watching the girls reactions. The small girl shook her head timidly. "That is Papa, and Haha." She stated as if it was a well known fact, looking at the woman in front of her curiously. The waves the boat was sailing over made her feel ill. "Then what is your name?" Keiko smiled, amused.

"It's Tsukiko, Demo…I only get called that when I'm in trouble." Tsuki's ears twitched slightly as glanced up from the pillow she'd tried to hide her face with. "I usually just get called Tsuki." She explained. 'Where are Haha, and papa…?' She looked around the unfamiliar surroundings awkwardly, becoming increasingly upset when her parents were nowhere in sight. Everything looked and smelled so strange. The only familiar smell was that of the sea.

Miyu smiled sadly as she deciphered the look. "We found you." She paused. "And there wasn't anyone else with you." Tsuki cocked her head to the side slowly. "I was all alone?" Keiko nodded her head, but placed a hand on the now bolder girls head. "I'm sure your family is fine and looking for you however." Sometimes lying was the best thing you could do.

Tsuki leaned her head back against one of the rails, feeling sicker all of a sudden, her pallor had become rather grey, signifying her poor disposition. "You should sleep." Miyu pulled the covers over her. "We'll hit a port soon, and be on dry land."

Tsuki's eyes slid closed slowly, against her will. 'Everything is different…' She could feel tears stinging her closed eyes before drifting off the sleep. Tsuki had no idea just how different things really were just yet.

"Lets go." Miyu whispered quietly, as she walked towards the steps. Keiko nodded her head, wondering how they would hide the girl's strange looks. They could always call her a cosplayer or something like that, Miyu suggested upon re-emerging from the deck. "That might work, for a time." Keiko bit her lip, her mind turning circles over its self, She already knew where to take the girl. To say the least she was dreading it. "We've got plenty of time." Miyu stated as she patted the younger girls back.

Keiko nodded numbly, knowing Miyu had no idea what the real look of dread was for. They'd been gone a total of one week so far, and she had yet to call anyone.

It spelled trouble, with a capital "T."

* * *

Are there going to be a lot of terms or things you don't know? Maybe, but I will do my best to explain them, this story is going to delve really deep into other cultures, Asian mostly. I am not an expert, but I do try to research, and if you're interested, I will try to show you all my findings, just give me a shout. I'm also trying to cut back on my use of Japanese. It's better for us all. This chapter did not have a lot of talking ^.^ sorries…but there will be more in the next chapter. (This was a lot of research needed, Island wise. I had to make Kagashima up . so yeh. )

When you think of these brids, think of Goldie's bird of paradise more suspefically.

Anno: Umm, Uh.  
-san: Mr./Mrs.  
Youkai: Demon/spirit/apparition  
Ningen: Human

Kaga-flower bud.  
-Shima: island.


	2. Gods The Authors Of The Fact

Tsuki: Sorry I'm taking so long, I've been so busy *Dizzy eyed* I working hard though, I swear…Suke-chan! *puppy dog eyes.*

Yusuke: This is the disclaimer, and fortunately Tsuki owns nothing, otherwise Yuu yuu Hakusho would be like the song that never ends. It would never, never end, until someone got so sick of it, they just killed everyone off permanently.

* * *

Anseiji Ningyou  
By: Tsuki jaganshi

* * *

Tsuki woke up when they were only a few hours away from port. The cabin was completely empty and silent. But her ears were able to pick up the sound of the motor working against the ocean as they went along. 'Something feels strange.' She noted dimly, unable to remember what had transpired before she'd woken up. There was just blank space, between her memories of now, and then. 'I can remember my parents, my name, and where we lived…My favorite things, my dislikes…Everything but what happened before my birthday.' Tsuki's brows furrowed in thought. Her head was now resting against her knees. A position she often reverted to, when upset or even thinking hard. 'My hair became much longer.' She noted. The silky strands which once brushed the back of her knees were now precariously close to her ankles. The very last thing that Tsuki remembered was falling ill, more so then usual. 'But after that, everything is a blank.' She noted. Or maybe it wasn't so much that she didn't remember, as it was she didn't want to. There was a bad feeling about whatever had happened in the void of her memories.

She stayed in that exact same position for a while, never moving a muscle. If it weren't for the fact she blinked every now and then, Keiko would have thought she was dead. The older woman stood there for a few moments, taking in the girl's appearance.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Keiko requested from her spot in the door way. She'd been standing there for a good ten minutes, in sight and completely unnoticed.

Tsuki's ears perked in surprised, her eyes flying to meet Keiko. She hadn't heard anyone come done the steps, something about the word Keiko had said caught her attention. It was new, and shiny, having a ring that she'd never heard before to it. "Anno…What is a pen-ni?" She questioned.

"It's, Penny, and it's a foreign form of currency. It's a coin." Keiko smiled, and explained, correcting her on the pronunciation, before taking a seat by the bed. "But it's just a figure of speech…it means I wanted to know what you were thinking." She smiled after elaborating the last bit.

"Oh…" Tsuki stated softly, her eyes looking thoughtfully. "I wasn't thinking much of anything…" She blinked, when Keiko brushed a piece of hair from her face. "Things are different." Keiko stated. The whole reason she'd come below deck was to explain things as much as she could to the youkai. If her hunch was correct, then Tsuki had been asleep for a very long time. "But first, what year was it, when you went to sleep?"

Tsuki tilted her head to the side thoughtfully. "I think, 1570, or around that." She stated unsurely. Not for the first time, she took in Keiko's strange clothing. She'd seen men in pants before, but hardly ever a woman, excluding her aunt of course. Not many people had the courage to tell her what to wear. Much less to do anything else it could be considered hazardous.

Keiko took her hand comfortingly. "It's way past then. The year is now, two thousand eight." She stated. That meant that more than 400 hundred years had passed.

Tsuki's face remained blank for a few moments. "If I was four hundred and thirty four, when I fell asleep…then that means that…" Her mind tried to grasp the math quickly.

"You are now 868, if I'm right, which I think I am." Keiko supplied her. "And though I don't really know how to calculate that into Youkai terms, I'm pretty sure it means, you're no longer the same age you used to be."

Tsuki nodded her head numbly. "By far…" She choked out. It meant that she was an adult, culture wise at least. 'That means, I'm around 17, or even possibly 18.' But she hardly felt any different. Then again, Tsuki had yet to see herself in a mirror. For all she knew, time could have been very unkind to her. "D-do you have mirror?" Tsuki whimpered quietly, her hands had begun wringing the cloth of her Kimono nervously.

Keiko nodded her head, before helping Tsuki off the bed. She was completely off balance. 'It probably has a lot to do with not walking for centuries, and all the changes to her body.' But she was neither a doctor nor a Youkai expert. The taller girl guided her into the bathroom, before flicking on the lights. Tsuki starred across from her spot and into the mirror numbly. What she was seeing was very different from the last image she had of her own face.

Her face had once been rounder, and her eyes much larger. Her cheeks had been fuller, and more often than not, tinted bright pink against the alabaster white of her skin. The natural blush was almost completely gone now. Her face had thinned out with age, and her chin was now gently pointed. Tsuki studied the person in front of her intently. It was a lot like her mothers face, only more cherubic. Although years had passed, somehow for the most part the childlike quality had remained.

The woman in the door way watched her worriedly, half expecting to hear crying. Being asleep for more than half of your life had to be an emotional thing to go through. Instead, she watched as Tsuki tilted her head to the side, examining the person she saw looking back at her through the mirror.

Tsuki, took a deep breath, and supposed the changes weren't so unwelcome. It wasn't as though, she had just grown up in a few days span. This was how it was supposed to be. 'What happened to me, before I went to sleep?' Trying to think back that far, only made her head ache. So she pushed it aside. Positive thinking was good in some situations.

"I'll leave you alone for a while, so you can wash up." Keiko stated as she handed Tsuki a pair of clothes they had packed away for her. "But before I go, let me show you something." She grinned, before turning the knobs on the sink, allowing clean water to flow.

Tsuki's eyes went wide. "Where did you learn to do that?" Sure, Youkai had running water long before Ningen, but the way Keiko had done it was entirely different. She looked at the older girl inquisitively.

"Its common knowledge." Keiko giggled slightly, as she handed a wash cloth and some soap to the small girl. "All I really know is that it has something to do with plumbing, and what not." She stated truthfully. "Now wash up, and change your clothes." She called behind her. Keiko made sure not to go too far. "Just let me know if you need anything." Given the fact Tsuki was probably mentally much younger then she was physically, it could lead to trouble. With that said Keiko slid the door shut quietly and took a seat on the bed.

Tsuki undid the obi to her kimono tossing the cord used to tie it closed onto the sink table. After that, she shrugged the colorful outer layer of her clothing onto the floor. The plain white slip under her kimono brought something to her attention. Sometime during her sleep, or what she referred to as sleep, her chest had filled out. Not only that, but her hips were wider as well. Which, she supposed was normal 'Not that I would know.' She admitted mentally... The thing that sparked Tsuki's interest most of all however, was the fact she'd apparently grown quit a few inches.

She sniffed the bar of soap gingerly. 'It smells like flowers.' She mused. Not the sort that Tsuki was used to, but another foreign type. Shrugging it off, she set to work washing her hands. When rinsing her wrists off, Tsuki noted two faint puncture marks on her left one. They were darkly bruised all around. 'How strange…' She felt like it was important, where they had come from. But when she tried to remember; that aching came back with a vengeance.

Tsuki shook her head, pushing it from mind once more. It was in a person's instincts to do whatever they could to prevent pain, or discomfort for their selves. She unfolded the new Kimono slowly. It was black, blue, and aqua, Smokey gray and white. The embroidery along the hem and sleeve edges was of lily pads and lotuses. Funny thing was, Tsuki could hardly remember owning it, even stranger, that it would still fit.

When pulling the sash keeping her white slip closed. Tsuki took note of the once straight forms changes. She glanced up at the mirror curiously. Her chest had swelled and rounded during her sleep, and her hips had widened. She ran her hands along the newly gained curves. Worriedly, at first glance, Tsuki hadn't noticed the peculiarities at all, her clothing effectively hiding them. 'Is it normal to look like this?' she mused, tilting her head to the side curiously. Although thinking back on the times she'd bathed with her mother as a child, it seemed relatively normal. Tsuki shrugged it off, and pulled her hair to one side, picking up the wash cloth, she scrubbed her face and shoulders clean. It wouldn't be much longer until she finished cleaning up.

Keiko looked up a few minutes later, when Tsuki sidled out of the bathroom. Her hair had been smoothed back into its natural position, and her clothing was perfectly in place. Keiko couldn't help but be reminded of one of those pale white porcelain dolls from the west. If it hadn't of been for the style of Tsuki's clothes, the resemblance would have been uncanny. Keiko watched the younger girl shift uncomfortably, clearly rather self conscious at the moment. "You look fine." The older girl stated soothingly, ushering her up the steps and onto the top level of the deck.

Miyu looked up from the helm, before smiling. "Morning…" She greeted Tsuki perkily, waving briefly. She'd seemingly gotten over her earlier misgivings. Watching the girl sleep earlier had seen to that. 'Such a wispy thing surely can't cause that much trouble.' She mused, turning the helm to starboard side. Tsuki on the other hand made no response. She'd yet to see the sky since waking up; only the ceiling and walls of the down stairs cabin. The sky was dark gray signifying an oncoming storm she could hear, and see the sea laid out before them, and smell the clouds and water coming.

Keiko watched the smaller girl thoughtfully. Tsuki's eyes were half lidded and hazy. "You okay?" She placed a hand on the girls head. Tsuki blinked in response, glancing up to catch Keiko's eyes with her own. "I'm fine…" Her eyes went back to looking out at the sea, her feet leading her over to the left side of the boat. Keiko watched her worriedly, as Tsuki braced her hands on the ledge, and leaned out to look at the passing waters. Realizing the girl wasn't going anywhere, she made her way to Miyu's side, conversing with the older woman quietly for a few moments.

Tsuki stared down at the water, her ears twitching every now and then. It was a lot like looking at an overly alert dog. She leaned her head down slightly, feeling the small droplets of water misting her face. A smile soon broke out. 'Even though things are different, there are some things that never change.' She took comfort in that small truth.

Keiko stood at the head of the boat, looking out over the water thoughtfully. A problem had come to pass, due to spur of the moment thinking. The brunette glanced over to the pale haired girl who was hanging over the side of the boat precariously. Her large green eyes were looking out over the speeding waters in wonderment. 'If we take her off the boat and into a well populated area, it may be disastrous.' Keiko mused, she had no idea how strong her senses were, or how the girl would react towards all the changes at that. "Tsuki?" She called, trying to steal the girl's attention.

Tsuki was going to end up in the water if she wasn't careful; tendrils of her long hair had already become damp from the wake the boat created. "Hm?" Her large luminous eyes were now directed at the older girl. She was completely amazed. 'I had no idea that boats could move so fast, and without any sails, or even rowers.' Her sea sickness had apparently been rather fleeting thing.  
"I wanted to know, if you're able to change your shape." Keiko explained. "Anno…Into what exactly?" Tsuki blinked at her owlishly, sitting on the bench behind her. Sure, she could transform into some things. "Well, nothing fancy." The brunette snickered slightly. "You just have to appear a little more normal." She had no idea what this statement would spark.

"I don't look normal?" Tsuki's confused look had simply melted into a frown.

Miyu shook her head, before speaking up. "That's not what she meant. It's just that Youkai are almost non-existent.

"What do you mean? We're all over the place." Tsuki blinked at her, watching the pity filled smiles take over their faces. "Did something bad happen to us?"

Keiko sighed briefly. "I really don't know much about it, except this, the Rekai set up a barrier, separating the Youkai from the ningen, I thought it was a little before the 1500's though." She admitted.

"Is the barrier still up?" Tsuki asked in alarm, her eyes were wide. If that was the case then she would never get home.  
Keiko shook her head. "I don't believe so." She stated. "It doesn't matter much if it is…But back to the subject at hand, all you have to do, is appear more ningen. At least in public…do you think you can do it?" She watched as Tsuki nodded her head slowly.

"There might be a problem though." Tsuki smiled at her sheepishly. "I can't hold it for very long." It required a lot of focus, and energy. The energy wasn't so much the issue, as the focus was. "You won't have too." Keiko tilted her head thoughtfully. "Ten minutes tops."

Miyu raised a hand. "I take it, the subways are out of the question. Keiko nodded her head. "For Tsuki and I at least, but your headed back to work, right if that's the case, you can take the subways…I'm headed back to my home town with Tsuki." She explained to the black haired girl.

By now, said girl had stopped paying attention, and was once more overlooking the sea. "That's fine with me…but if you need something, give me a call." Miyu suggested. If she got even an inkling things were going badly for the two, she'd be back on the scene within a day.

"Of course." Keiko smiled at her appreciatively. "I'm sorry for the trouble." Miyu simply waved her off, turning her own attention back to navigating the boat. They'd be on shore within an hour, or less.

When they were about ten minutes from dock, Tsuki set about changing her features. The closer she stayed to her natural form, the less focus she would need. This is how she ended up with long pale blonde hair, and the unchanged eyes. She fingered one of her now human ears absently. Her balance felt incredibly off.

"Alright, we're ready to do." Miyu stated as she tied the boat up to the dock. Keiko tossed a few of their bags up onto the wooden platform. "I'll go ahead and return the boat on my own, there's a rental shop close by here." She stated, giving Keiko a brief hug as she grabbed a few of her bags.

Keiko smiled up at her. "Thanks for everything." She pulled away to help pull Tsuki out of the boat. The smaller girl's foot slipped out from under her along the way, almost sending her crashing to the ground.

"Sorry." Tsuki stated sheepishly. "My balance is uneven in this form." Keiko simply nodded her head in understanding. Miyu smiled at the Youkai. "Be good, okay?" She requested simply. Although Miyu was sure Tsuki wouldn't do anything bad on purpose.

"Hai." Tsuki bowed at her respectfully, Keiko picked up the bags that belonged to her, and Miyu had shifted all the items they took from the cavern into them. "I'll call you soon." She stated, tugging Tsuki along the pier, towards the car rental. They had a limited amount of time.

Tsuki waved farewell to Miyu as she allowed Keiko to tug her into the building. The building was rather shabby, but for some reason, Tsuki took great interest in it. It was very white, with strange white squares covering the floor. As Keiko chatted with the man at the desk, talking about something called a car, Tsuki counted as many squares as she could.

"Cute kid, doesn't look a thing like you though." The man at the desk stated to Keiko, as she filled out a slip of paper as fast as possible. Keiko laughed slightly. "She's not mine." She corrected. "But she's definitely cute." She admitted, before signing her name and handing over her credit card.

Somehow Tsuki managed to hold the transformation a little longer than anticipated. Paperwork seemed to be one of those things that never changed. It took around fifteen minutes to get the car. Tsuki whimpered as she shifted from foot to foot. It was becoming hard to hold it. Keiko couldn't help but be reminded of a child needing to use a rest room. "Okay." She ushered the girl out into the parking lot, unlocking the black cars door with the remote. "You did very well." She smiled, before opening the passenger door. Keiko moved aside and let the girl take her seat.

Tsuki's human ears gradually became pointier, and furrier. "Yea." She breathed a sigh of relief, feeling a familiar sense wash over her. "I'm sorry I couldn't hold it longer." Tsuki smiled apologetically. Keiko waved her hand dismissively, as she pulled the seat belt over the blinking girl. "Its fine…and this is for safety." She explained, pointing at the seatbelt.

"Okay." Tsuki's brow wrinkled in confusion. 'Safety, from what?' She mused, looking up as Keiko slammed the door shut and walked around the car to the driver's side. The noise made her wince for a moment. Keiko opened the driver's door, and slid into her seat, adjusting it and the mirrors before putting the key into the ignition. She pulled the seatbelt over her own form, clicking into the place, before turning the key. Tsuki yelped, as the car seemingly growled. "What was that?!" She asked hysterically, her eyes wide and filled with fear. It had sounded much like a monster.

Keiko laughed slightly. "I'm sorry I should have warned you, it's just the car." She explained, shifting gears and backing out of the parking space. "Oh…" Tsuki trailed off, instantly becoming distracted by the passing scenes. Her stomach felt slightly upset as things began to speed by at a faster rate. Tsuki covered her mouth looking rather green suddenly. "Oh, don't get sick, it's a rental!" Keiko cried in alarm, rolling down the windows quickly. Apparently, Tsuki was also car sick, the brunette filed that away for later, as the aforementioned girl gagged slightly.

'This is going to be a long trip.' Keiko noted. Reaching out with a free hand, she patted the girls back comfortingly. It wasn't long before the nausea receded, Tsuki quickly adapted to new things. Tsuki watched as the rain began pouring down, leaving droplets on the windows. It left a methodical rhythm in her head.  
When they passed through Yokohama, Tsuki's eyes became large and enthralled. The buildings here were taller than any she had ever seen. Though everything was tinted gray from the weather, and the many glass windows looked cold and soulless, they seemed beautiful to her. Tsuki pressed her hands against the passenger window, looking out of it in awe. Sooner then she would have liked, they had left the city, and were now on a large expanse of open road. Very quickly, she became tired the motion of the car lulling her to sleep.

Tsuki leaned her head against the cool damp window. Keiko glanced over at her briefly. It would be another few hours until they finally even got halfway to where they were going. Her phone vibrated in her pocket obnoxiously. 'I'll check it when I get a chance.' She mused. Right now the most important thing was getting Tsuki to Genkai's, and then figuring out where the scroll had come from. 'Someone sent it to me. But why, did they know what it was about?' Keiko's mind raced with similar questions.

It was around one in the morning, when Keiko pulled into a Hotel parking lot. Tsuki had woken up hours before, and had her first fast food meal. She was currently fiddling with the hello Kitty toy that had come with it. She acted like it was the most amazing treasure she's found in her whole life. Keiko had to bite back from laughing. "It's just plastic." She told the girl.

Tsuki wrinkled her nose thoughtfully. "Plastic?" She questioned, looking at the toy with curiosity. "It's a man made material." Keiko stated, parking the car and turning the engine off. "I'll be right back, don't go anywhere." She told the Tsuki. Thankfully it was nice and dark, so there wasn't much to worry about in the ways of someone spotting the girl.

"Okay." Tsuki stated wistfully, turning back to her Hello kitty merchandise. Keiko exited the car, and walked into the check in area of the hotel. It wasn't long before the light in the car switched off, sending Tsuki into darkness. As soon as the light dimmed out, her chest constricted with an un-rational fear. She knew that it didn't make much of a difference, if there was a light or not, but somehow it washed over her regardless. Her hands were shaking, and her eyes started to tremble with tears. The dark felt lonely, it felt like abandonment.

When Keiko got back to the car, even with the doors and windows shut, she could clearly hear the crying from inside. Without thinking, she unlocked the passenger side door and pulled it open in alarm. "Tsuki?" She stiffened up for a moment, when the girl threw her arms around her waist. "Are you okay?" Keiko questioned, wrapping her arms around Tsuki's shivering form. "N-no." Tsuki sobbed, her face pressed against Keiko's waist. "I don't like the dark…please don't leave me alone in it. I promise I'll be g-good!" To her, the worst thing that could be done, was to be left alone in that creeping darkness.

Those words were going to stick with Keiko for a long time. "You were never bad to begin with." She stated, kneeling down slightly to wipe the girl's eyes. "I'm sorry; I didn't know you were scared of the dark." She stated with an apologetic smile. Tsuki sniffled, rubbing her red and now puffy eyes in agitation. Her eyes looked down at her feet gloomily.

Keiko smiled slightly, reaching over and unlocked the seatbelt. "We're going to rest here for the night, tomorrow afternoon; we'll be where we need to be." She explained. Tsuki nodded her head at the statement, allowing Keiko to help her out of the car. The two girls grabbed the bags out of the seat, making haste to get into their room without anyone seeing them. Keiko dropped the bag in her hands by the door, as she shut the door behind her. The phone had died a little bit ago, putting a cease to whatever calls she'd been receiving.

Tsuki walked over to the window and slid the curtains open as Keiko hooked up the thing she'd taken out of her pocket. The lights in the city were all on, and blazing like stars. Her eyes slid closed slowly, distantly, she was able to hear the sounds of other people inside the building. "Is this where you live?" She glanced over at Keiko curiously.

The ningen shook her head. "No, but it's similar to this in some places." She paused. "But the exact destination where headed to is very isolated…You should get some sleep." Keiko reminded her. Tsuki really wasn't tired, but she wasn't going to start misbehaving. Her parents had taught her to be well behaved. The silver haired girl lay down on the bed by the window, not bothering to close the curtains. The more light as far as she was concerned, the better.

Tsuki's eyes slid up towards the moon, half hidden behind the buildings of soulless glass. It glinted red, harsh against the dark sky. 'A bad omen.' She noted numbly. A red moon signified war on the horizons. Much like a red sky at morning meant warning for sailors. She lay awake from the next few hours, even after Keiko finished on the phone and returned to bed. At one point, she stood up, opening the window silently; there was a thick ledge outside, which she climbed onto cautiously. The rain had receded for the time being, but left the ledge slick with raindrops. Tsuki was cautious however, and stayed as still as possible.

A bird twilled loudly to her left. It was white, yellow and red, with long trailing tail feathers that spiraled downwards. Tsuki turned her attention to it quickly placing a finger over her lips. "Shh…" she hushed it, kneeling down, and holding her hand out encouragingly. The bird cocked its head to the side, hopping forwards. It allowed her to stroke its feathers soothingly. 'You seem familiar.' Tsuki mused, listening as it twittered at her softly, for a while, she sat there, simply listening to the creature sing softly.

The bird ruffled its wings startling her. "Huh?" Tsuki blinked, as it took flight, a large feather drifting down into her vision. Her hand reached out and plucked it from the air, she sighed slightly, mourning the loss of something that seemed so familiar. Tsuki soon returned to bed, as if she had never left, the red tipped feather clenched in her hand.

'28 messages?' Keiko mused, as she flipped through the missed calls and texts. 'What they didn't get the….Oh.' She quickly remembered that she hadn't informed a single soul besides Miyu where she was going. Keiko rubbed her temples exasperatedly. 'I better call them back, and let them know what's going on.' She stood up and slid into the bathroom shutting the door behind her with a click. Keiko pressed a few buttons on the phone. Most of the calls had come from Shizuru, Kurama and her parents. Although considering Yukina now lived with Shizuru and Kuwabara, some of those calls were probably theirs.

The dial tone drifted noisily into her ear, as Kurama's voice sounded out after the second ring. "Would you calm down?" He stated to someone in the room with. "I haven't even said anything yet." Keiko stated in annoyance.

"I didn't mean you Keiko-chan." The red headed boy responded. "Where have you been? We've been trying to get a hold of you for the past few days…We even called your work, but the administrator there said you took some vacation time." Everyone had been immensely worried by her lack of response. One person in particular who was currently standing in the room with him. "Stop it." Kurama snapped, slapping Yusuke's hand away from the phone. 'These past few years have done nothing to fix that impatience apparently.' He mused, turning his attention back to the female speaker.

Keiko blinked slowly. "Who's with you, Kuwabara-kun? And on the subject of where I was, and what I was doing…You'll find out tomorrow." She stated.

"Tomorrow?" Kurama questioned. He skimmed over her question. 'It's best to leave the subject of her and Yusuke alone.' As much as he would have liked to meddle, this time he just let it pass him by. For the time being that is. 'Besides, if she is coming back tomorrow, no doubt he'll be the first one to greet her.' He thought.

"I'll be arriving at Genkai's, at about one in the afternoon…speaking of which, would you mind meeting me there? I need your help with something very important." Keiko sounded rather troubled. "I'll call out of work." Kurama responded dutifully. Something was not right, and after the relatively peaceful recent years, it was highly probable chaos would come in droves.

Yusuke was behind Kurama, pacing slightly, as he ran a hand through his long hair. It'd grown back once more during his absence. He was just lucky the marking were easier to hold at bay then the hair was. 'I'll get it cut tonight.' He mused. Yusuke knew he had a lot of explaining to do in front of Keiko, but when he heard she'd be arriving so early, he felt nervous. He'd only just gotten back from Makai, a few days prior. Tomorrow he would learn, that the day he'd returned to Ningenkai, was also the day Tsuki had woken up, rather coincidentally. 'I mean I had a good reason.' At least it seemed like a good reason. When Raizen had said, Yusuke had somehow evolved into a form of mazoku, that no longer needed the flesh of humans to survive, he'd been right. Unfortunately, he skipped out on the part of Yusuke having the Urges and cravings to do so. Although it was very possible he didn't know that himself. Whatever mutation Yusuke's body had gone through, after awakening the demonic part of his genetics, left him more affected then originally assumed.

When Yusuke had first stepped foot back into Ningenkai, on the appointed third year, he almost went crazy from the smell of all the humans roaming around. He was lucky that Hiei had been close by, and managed to subdue him, otherwise He would have been having Human for a welcome back meal. It obviously hadn't of been safe for him to return back to Ningenkai. 'But I made a promise, and late is better than never.' Yusuke noted, hoping Keiko felt the same. He knew he could have written a note, or gotten word to her somehow. But he didn't want to admit his own failure, that and, he'd been so focused on learning as much as he could about his species, and practicing on how to squash those instincts; time had flown by. What had been eight or so years, had only felt like one or two for him.

'She's probably pissed.' Yusuke mused, but he preferred that to the alternatives. If she had been waiting there for him, who knew what would have happened. Although the hunger he felt for her, wasn't exactly the kind you felt for a tasty meal. He'd just been in the middle of asking Kurama about her, when surprise, surprise the girl had called herself. Yusuke just wanted to say hello, and Kurama was hogging the phone all to himself. Without thinking, he tacked the red head to the ground in midsentence.

"What are you doing?!" Kurama looked at Yusuke like his was rabid, vaguely hearing Keiko ask what was going on in the background. Yusuke took the phone, and climbed off the boy dutifully.

"Hey." He stated into the receiver, waiting a few moments. He could quiet vividly hear Keiko's breath catch in her throat. "Miss me?" He grinned slowly.

"Absolutely not!" Keiko seethed. It just figured that when she was on her way back to town, completely over him, he'd show up. Or at least she liked to think she was over him. A girl could dream.

Yusuke winced, hearing the tone of her voice. "Look, I can explain if you ju-" His mouth fell open slightly, when Keiko called him a few unsavory names. "There's no need for naming calling!" He had no idea her vocabulary went that far. As a matter of fact, there were quite a few words she'd said that he was pretty sure, he'd never heard before. Like, indecorous, and odious. Yusuke didn't know whether to be proud and amused, or hurt and shocked. He settled with the first choice though. Hearing those words spill from her mouth, simply meant she was upset. 'Being upset means, she still has feelings.' He noted eagerly.

"Look." Keiko stated as she took a deep breath. Yelling at him had made her feel a bit better. "I have to go, I've been driving all night. Tell Kurama I'll see him tomorrow." With great satisfaction, she hung up without waiting for a response, or even biding him farewell. If Yusuke showed up tomorrow as well, she'd give him what for.

Kurama had by now climbed off the floor. "I take it she wasn't thrilled to hear from you." He smiled slightly and took the phone. "Well, everything takes time…your welcome to go to Genki's with me tomorrow." He stated, watching in amusement as a smirk crossed over Yusuke's face. "You shouldn't be so happy with rejection. It's un healthy."

Yusuke shook his head wildly. "It's not rejection, it's a challenge." He stated, before looking at the red headed boy hopefully. "Give me a hair cut?"

Kurama chuckled lowly, before nodding his head. "Of course." He led the boy into the kitchen of his large apartment, grabbing a pair of sheers; he began cutting at the mass of black hair dutifully. "I take it you training went well, or you wouldn't be here now." He stated. Of course Kurama had known about the situation, which makes one wonder why he hadn't informed Keiko. The answer to that, is because he was not asked to tell, and he was never asked what was going on with Yusuke by said girl.

Yusuke nodded his head, a rather thoughtful look crossing his face. "So far." The only thing so far he'd had a problem with so far, was the rapid growth of his hair and nails. Concealing his markings was easy. But for some reason the other two were a bit more challenging.

When Kurama had finished, Yusuke left, heading back to Genkai's for the night. That was pretty much where he'd decided to live. He certainly wasn't going back to live with his mother, at the age he was now. Besides she'd gotten back with his father, And Yusuke couldn't stand the sight of the man to be frank. He ran a hand through his hair, relishing in the cool night air. It was a long walk back from the city, to the mountains, but for Yusuke it felt like moments. That was probably due to that fact, his walking was more like running.

Yusuke glanced up at the sky once more, talking note of the full round moon in the sky. It was tinted bright red. 'A red moon signifies war on the horizon.' He noted briefly, a shiver running up his spine. 'That's just superstition.' The small voice in the back of his mind stated in a pesky tone, urging him to catch a few precious hours of sleep. Yusuke relented, walking to his room, and flopping down onto his futon. 'Let's hope the haircut sticks.' He mused, drifting off to sleep slowly.

He should have known better, considering his prior profession. Superstitions were never simply superstitions whenever he or the others were concerned. It was a universal fact. A fact that was not to be ignored.

* * *

Whew *wipes sweat* I really wanted to get it, to 6 thousand words, but it was really hard. Can anyone guess where the title for this chapter came from? I'll give you a treat! I don't know what, because I doubt you'll guess it. *Grins* now, I'm off to do an outline of the next chapter for Borderline obsession!


	3. Are These The Tears Of Ages?

Anseiji Ningyou  
By: Tsuki Jaganshi

Tell me what the rain knows  
O is this the flood of fortune  
That pours itself upon me?  
O see how I drown in this sea  
-Maaya Sakamoto

When Keiko woke up, Tsuki was already back in bed. The girl was curled up her arms locked around her knees as she slept peacefully. Keiko rubbed her eyes sleepily, it was early morning and they'd been driving late into the night yesterday. 'Exhausted...' She yawned, pulling out some clean clothes. As Keiko passed by Tsuki's sleeping form, she took notice of the white and red tipped feather sticking up out of the girls silver hair. She pulled the offending object out, and turned it over between her fingers thoughtfully. 'It looks like one from the birds, on the island.' She mused, biting her bottom lip. 'As a matter of fact, I think it is…' But how had Tsuki gotten a hold of it?

Keiko pushed the thought away for a few a moments, and set the feather back into the girls hair before retreating into the bathroom. When she got back, Tsuki was in the middle of stretching sleepily. "Morning." Keiko greeted with a smile, she couldn't help it, the feather was sticking out of Tsuki's hair in an adorable fashion.

"Good morning." Tsuki greeted with a small smile, before glancing out the window.

Keiko tilted her head to the side thoughtfully. "It's the rainy season." She explained. It came in June and ended in august. "That's why it's been so rainy…" it had been raining for a few weeks or more on the mainland of japan

"Oh." Tsuki blinked, when Keiko reached out and touched the feather. "Hm?"

Keiko smiled, for a moment; she had the urge to pet the girl's ears. "Hey, where did you get this feather?" She wondered.

"I found it outside yesterday." Tsuki explained, her wide eyes looking up at Keiko in confusion. She would have told Keiko about the bird, if she'd asked about it. (1)

The brunette simply shrugged. "I see…." Maybe she was just being paranoid. 'There are tons of white and red birds…I think.' She wasn't a bird expert after all. "Well you'd better get ready; we still have a long way to go." Keiko mused, setting the brush she'd been using on her hair down to hand Tsuki the clothes she'd gotten out for her.

The Kimono she'd picked out was Cream colored, with bright red roses scattered along the hem and sleeves, while the obi was black and green. "I don't remember this one either." Tsuki mused, fingering the cloth as she looked it over with a small frown.

"Pretty though, isn't it?" Keiko commented, as she laid it into the girl's hand. "Whoever made your clothes did a wonderful job…you don't see quality like this anymore." She mused.

"Do you want one?" Tsuki wondered, glancing at the larger girl kindly. "You can take any of them…" She trailed off when Keiko shook her head.

"I couldn't do that…besides I doubt I'd even fit into one." Keiko admitted sheepishly. "You're a lot smaller than me."

Tsuki nodded her head, slightly disappointed. "I suppose." She mused, walking into the bathroom. Keiko busied herself with packing things away, and toting them out into the rental car. On her second trip to the hotel room, something dawned on her. 'Yusuke's going to be there.' And just like that all the air in her lungs was sucked out by a mysterious force. "What am I going to do?" She panicked slightly. This did not bode well for her nerves.

"Do about what?" Tsuki wondered innocently, as she peered out of the bathroom. Her hair was slightly damp, and so it clung to her face messily. Keiko looked at her in surprise, she hadn't meant to say it outloud.

"It's nothing." The brunette sweated slightly, before avoiding the subject. "Why don't I dry you're hair? Otherwise it'll take forever." She mused, walking past Tsuki, into the bathroom. The small girl yelped loudly, when the hairdryer was flicked on and began humming loudly. (2)

Keiko watched as Tsuki began to panic, and try to leave the room. "Relax." She covered her mouth before a few giggles could slip out. "It's just air." She explained, pointing the device at the girl. Tsuki's eyes clamped shut as the hot hair blew her hair back. "See?" She questioned no longer able to hide her laughter.

"Uh-huh." Tsuki nodded her head, as Keiko stepped behind her and began drying her hair. 'How weird.' She mused to herself, fiddling with the feather she'd tucked into her obi nervously. There were so many strange things all over the place, like Co-fee Machine sitting on the bathroom counter. Tsuki had no idea what Co-fee was. 'Maybe you put money into it, to pay a fee?' She wondered innocently. She continued on with this line out thought, until the the hairdryer wound down.

Keiko smiled and ran a brush through the girl's hair.' Like silk.' She noted, brushing a hand through it. 'Wish mine were like that.' Unfortunately, Keiko had what she liked to call horse hair. It was thick and course. Tsuki's on the other hand, was fine stranded, but thick in the amount of it there was. "Well, all done." She stated wistfully. "Can you put the illusion up for a few minutes?"

Tsuki nodded her head dutifully. "Hai." She stated clasping her hands together. A few seconds later, a now blond haired girl stood before her, and with that done the pair headed downstairs. Tsuki went and sat in the car, her hands immediately going to find the Hello Kitty merchandise she'd retrieved just the day before. Some think about the white cat's circular, understanding eyes made her feel a little more settled.

Keiko returned a few moments later, having paid for the room she'd rented, and opened her door. She pulled her seatbelt on with a sigh, before glancing over to make sure Tsuki was wearing hers. 'Good all set then.' She thought nervously. Something about seeing Yusuke again put her on edge. 'More like over the edge.' She mused, starting the car.

Maybe it wasn't just that though, she hadn't exactly left home on good terms with her parents either. They'd wanted her to stay and help out with the family business and whatnot, but Keiko just couldn't handle all that. 'Sometimes I'm amazed at how selfish I am.' She mused, slamming her head against the steering wheel a few times.

Tsuki looked at the older girl in confusion, her head cocking to the side. " Is something the matter?" She wondered quietly.

"Nothing you should worry about." Keiko smiled at her comfortingly. She didn't need the girl thinking the same thing she was.

Tsuki bit her bottom lip. "Anno…Maybe I can help?" She suggested hopefully.

"Well…." Keiko trailed off. "Its like this…in order to get you the help you need, I have to go somewhere, that I don't have the best feelings about." She paused. "And there are probably a bunch of people who aren't very happy with me at the moment there…so I'm just a little nervous."

Tsuki tilted her head. "Like who?" She wondered cutely.

"My parents for one." Keiko mumbled. "They weren't very happy when I left."

Tsuki hummed slightly. "Why did you leave though…"

Keiko sighed. "Well…there is this boy…who I lo-liked." She ignored the curious look Tsuki cast her. "And he made me a promise, which was very, very important…and then he broke it."

"People shouldn't make promises they can't keep." Tsuki mused, looking out the window.

Keiko nodded her head. "So true…So anyways…I waited around for him, before I finally got tired of waiting, and left, and went to college to do something with my life, and get over him."

Tsuki glanced up at the brunette thoughtfully. "So you left, because you were hurt…and you wanted to heal."

Keiko opened her mouth to deny the statement, but she snapped it shut after a moment.

"Basically." She mumbled.

"I don't see why they would hold that against you." Tsuki mused, a small smile creeping over her lips. "You're parents love you, ne?"

Keiko nodded her head. "I think so." She was slightly surprised at how insightful Tsuki really was.

"Then all they want is you're happiness….so it shouldn't matter that you left, just that you were safe and happy." Tsuki yawned, never taking in Keiko's sweat drop.

"I suppose so." The brunette mused, starting the car. She still couldn't help but feel nervous.

Tsuki glanced outside the window, looking over the rainy landscape absently, her fingers fiddling with the feather she'd tucked into her obi earlier. 'It feels like I'm forgetting something important.' She thought, resting her head on the window pane. Tsuki didn't notice that Keiko had called her name, at least three or more times.

Keiko frowned slightly, before taking a hand off the steering wheel to shake the girl slightly. "You okay?" She questioned after getting her attention.

Tsuki blinked up at her, before nodding her head. "I was just thinking." She explained quietly, looking back out the window. "Anno…how long will this take?" She wondered, looking up at Keiko thoughtfully.

"Well…it's about eight A.M now, so around 3, we should be there." Keiko mused. "But we're going to have to walk the rest of the way….The place we're going to is very secluded." She just hoped Kurama would meet them on the trail and carry some bags.

Tsuki hummed slightly, looking out the front window. The lines on the road made her feel dizzy, so she shut them. She rested like that for a few moments, drifting in and out of sleep lazily.

Keiko hummed quietly to herself; she wasn't going to disturb the girl by turning on the radio. Her mind wandered from one subject to another, until a jolt of realization ran through her like a spear. Yusuke was going to be there at some point. Hopefully not right when she got there. It was one thing for her to say that if she ever saw him again she wouldn't care in the least, but it was a completely different thing to actually be able to do it. 'Judging from the way my pulse is racing right now….that isn't going to be the case.' A few beads of sweat dripped down her forehead. 'This is not good.'

Kurama sneezed into the crook of his elbow. "Hm?" Yusuke blinked sleepily. He's been laying sprawled out on the front of the jeep.  
"Sorry." Kurama stated with a sheepish smile as he cleared his throat.

Yusuke waved him off. "Its fine…Hope you're not getting sick." He mused, running a hand through his one again short hair.

"Unlikely, but not entirely impossible." Kurama mused, glancing at this watch.

The two were outside waiting for Keiko to pull up. Recently they'd forged a rough path up to the temple. It wasn't easily accessible without four wheel drive; hence the beat up mud splattered jeep Yusuke was sleeping on.

Kurama cringed slightly to himself. 'I thought he wanted to look presentable when she got here.' He mused, before shrugging it off.

"Like…how mad is she again?" Yusuke questioned, sitting up. The rain had stopped for a while. He had a rather anxious look on his face.

Kurama cast him a slightly annoyed look. "Extremely, last time I checked….I mean you could have sent her a letter." Though, Kurama could have told her himself to that extent too.

"Lets not get into this again." Yusuke huffed, crossing his arms. "So…what do you think she needs your help with?" He wondered. "Hey wait a second…" He trailed off. "You two didn't shack up while I was gone, did you?!" Yusuke was already jumping to conclusions. "Maybe she had you're love child….and that's what she needs your help with." He growled slightly. "Damn it! I'm going to kill you Kurama!" Yusuke hissed, lunging for him.

Kurama sweat dropped. "It's not like that at all….You're letting you're imagination run away with you…" He stated in the process of stepping to the side. "Trust me, if she and I were like that, I wouldn't really tolerate you being here to see her." Kurama mused, wrinkling his nose up slightly. "I may not seem like it, but I'm really rather the jealous type."

"Seriously?" Yusuke looked at him doubtfully. 'He's pretty scary during battle…wonder if he's half as bad when he's having a jealous fit…' He shuddered for a moment. "I don't think I want to see that." Yusuke admitted sheepishly.

"If we're both lucky you never will." Kurama stated with a shrug, putting a quick end to the subject. The duo stood there for a few moments, their senses catching the sounds of an approaching car.

Yusuke fidgeted slightly, in an uncharacteristically nervous manner.

Kurama smiled in amusement. "Nervous?" He questioned.

"Like never before." Yusuke stated blatantly, flashing the red head a wild grin.

Keiko cringed slightly when she pulled up a few feet in front of them. She'd been deriding this moment all morning. Tsuki had fallen asleep a few hours earlier, leaving Keiko plenty of time to plan how things were going to go. She'd gotten as far as "Play it cool." And that was all. 'Something is better then nothing.' Keiko mused. She took a deep breath, readying herself before unlocking the door and clambering out of the vehical. 'I'll leave Tsuki to sleep a bit longer…' It'd give her time to explain a few things.

The moment Yusuke saw her it was like the breath had been sucked right of him. Like wine it seemed Keiko had just become better with age. Her hair had grown longer, touching the middle of her back, her chest as expected had also filled out. Without thinking The words came flying out of his mouth without a care for consequences. "Wow…You certainly filled out…"

The only clue to her annoyance was a brief twitch of her brow. "You certainly haven't." Keiko stated after giving him a once over. Kurama covered his mouth politely to cover up his chuckle, She'd certainly made a well placed jab at Yusuke.

The truth was, Yusuke had grown a bit, He'd grown a bit taller, and his physique a tad stockier, but other then that, and his hair growing out of control at times, he hadn't changed to much. Keiko noted he still had that boyish charm about him, but then she supposed that was one thing that would never change.

Yusuke pouted, slightly hurt by the jab. He'd sort of been hoping she'd fawn over him. 'Well, its to be expected of Keiko to put up a fight.' He mused, flashing her grin after a moment. "Missed me much?" He wondered.

Keiko ignored the comment expertly, turning her attention to Kurama. "I really appreciate you coming." She gave him a relieved look.

"It's not a problem…" Kurama trailed off, looking at her curiously. "Exactly what was so important?" He questioned, there was a familiar smell coming off Keiko; The sort of smell that rubbed off on someone who'd been in close contact with another.

Keiko pulled out the article that had started it all. "A few weeks ago this showed up into my life…I cant really explain it, but I just couldn't forget about it…so I started doing some research, and well…It turns out the map actually went to a real place." She bit her lip when Kurama looked at her with a slight frown.

"Don't tell me you're thinking about going there…." Yusuke wrinkled his nose up. "Who knows it could be a hoax, or even worse." He trailed off, noticing the way Keiko's eyes has drifted away in an attempt to hide the mildly guilty look in her eyes.

"You already went!" He accused, jabbing a finger at her. "Why didn't you tell anyone?"

Keiko gave him annoyed look. "Don't point, it's rude." She chastised, slapping his hand down. "And it slipped my mind." It sort of had slipped her mind originally, but then, she supposed in the back of her mind she didn't want anyone telling her it was a bad idea.

"That explains all the unanswered calls." Kurama mused, still cupping his chin thoughtfully. "When you get a chance, please do let everyone else know you're safe." He requested, before moving back to the subject at had. "So where out in the ocean did this map lead you exactly?" He questioned, nothing the foreign smell that still clung to Keiko.

Keiko looked back towards the car, wondering if Tsuki was still sleeping. "Out in the middle of nowhere, to a small empty island…And by empty I mean of people; plenty of plants and birds." Not to mention the other things that she hadn't seen.

"What exactly did you find, that you needed urgent help with?" Kurama arched a brow. There must have been something very interesting on that island, and the creature that he was, his curiosity had been stoked.

Yusuke had gone silent for a few moments, but watched as Keiko motioned for them to follow her towards the passenger side of the car. "Quietly." She stated, opening the door gently to reveal what was inside.

Tsuki was still sleeping as peacefully as she had been before Keiko had vacated the car, she was curled up uncomfortably on her side, seeing as how it was almost impossible to find any comfortable position to sleep in, in a car. Her pale silver hair was fanned out around the vacinty, drapped over anything that would provide a suitable surface.

"You found a Youkai?" Yusuke arched a brow. "and you managed to get her into the car?" he wondered.

"Yes, and it wasn't as hard as one might think…" Keiko trailed off for a moment. " And if you're thinking that she's dangerous, she's definitely not." She gave Yusuke a seething look when he opened his mouth. "Trust me. " It was really just a feeling Keiko had when she looked at the girl. Those eyes just gave everything away, like they were clear unclouded windows.

"So how exactly did you find her?" Kurama wondered, when the barrier had been placed up, most youkai had been attracted to it, resulting in their entrapment until just recently. What Keiko had to say next surprised even him.

"She was in a coffin, I suppose….thats what it looked like atleast." Keiko said the last part mostly to herself. "but she is most definantly alive, so that really doesn't make any sense. There is one thing that stood out though…she was hooked up by some sort of I.V." Keiko stated, biting at her lip thoughtlessly.

" She was probably in there because she's some evil wickedly powerful creature. She might look all sweet and innocent when she's sleeping, but then so does Hiei, and we both know better then that, now don't we?" Yusuke said, deciding to add his two cents in. He was obviously used to having his peace ruined by something , so was naturally wary. His paranoia however was not appreciated by Keiko, who voiced it quiet loudly.

Kurama was quiet but vaguely aware of the fresh argument that had sprung up between the pair, he had picked up on of Tsuki's pale hands and was studying it thoughtfully. Her hands were small, with long fingers that came to a point, tipped with sharp nails; The familiar markings of Most Youkai. Keiko was adamant in the girls good nature, and to be honest, she looked like she'd never fought a day in her life. Especially if he were to judge that by the softness of her palm and fingers. Most fighters had callous hands, even him. But as if that hadn't been enough to prove him of her passive nature, her eyes slowly opened, revealing sleep clouded eyes. There was no malevolent bone in this girl's body. That Kurama was sure off.

Tsuki on the other hand, was not so sure about the same thing concerning him. She shrieked slightly, flinging her hands up in surprise, and fumbling to get to the other side of the card. Waking up with some stranger leaning over her was not her idea of a good morning, or afternoon for that matter.

Kurama was left blinking, when Keiko shoved him to the side, and began comforting the trembling girl. 'Protective much?' He noted in amusement. Keiko reminded him of a doting mother. His amusement didn't last to long, when the brunette shot him a dirty look as she rounded on him.

"Why did you have to scare her like that?" Keiko scowled, patting Tsuki's head.

Thus, Kurama was reduced to apologizing. "I'm very sorry…" He trailed off, sweat dropping. 'This must be what Yusuke feels like.' He noted blithely.

Yusuke on the other hand, was smirking from ear to ear, happy that for once someone other then him was getting an earful from Keiko.

Keiko 's anger seemed to be quelled by the apology, or perhaps It was because The girl across from hersociahad finally calmed down.

Tsuki swallowed nervously, she definantly had not expected to wake up with some tall man hanging over her. 'I suppose I over-reacted though.' She noted, sitting up fully. "Sorry…" She stated, mustering a apologetic smile for her lapse.

"Its not your fault, You had a justified reaction." Kurama noted. "I apologize for frightening you…."

"Ah…where are we?" Tsuki wondered, looking at Keiko, her brows wrinkling together in confusion.

Keiko simply smiled. "That place I told you that I was taking you too…." She paused, switching over to introductory mode. "The man with red hair, who startled you, is Minamino Shuichi." She'd start with his given name. "And the other one, who looks like an idiot, is Yusuke."

Tsuki had to cover her mouth politely to hide her smile at the tacked on comment. 'Yusuke…' shemused, trying to place the name. "Ah! Is he the one?" She wondered towards Keiko, recalling the earlier conversation that had taken place.

"The one what?" Yusuke arched a brow, feeling as though he was missing something.

"None of you're business!" Keiko snapped, towards Yusuke, leaving the answer to Tsuki's question open ended. Fortunantly, Tsuki took the hint, that what had been spoken in the car, was not to leave car.

Yusuke huffed, and crossed his arms, before giving the petit girl a hard look over. She was small, flimsy, with an air of innocence about her. She in all did not seem like the type of person who was dangerous. Yusuke was generally the best judge of character, so with that, he tossed his earlier notions out the window.

"It's about to start raining again." Kurama noted, making his way to unload Keiko's car. "I think its best we head up towards the house before the path gets any muddier." He stated, making his way towards the jeep. Yusuke took the hint and grabbed a few bags and followed after him. Keiko busied herself, with talking quietly to Tsuki as they made their way to the old beat up jeep.

Tsuki looked up at the sky thoughtfully, it felt as though since she had woken up, all it had done was rain. 'I don't mind at all though.' She mused, tiliting her head up, to catch the first few drops of rain, as though she was a parched flower. The rain was cold and fresh, it felt good against her pale skin, sliding down like pearls. She was knocked out of her brief trance, but Keiko's hand on her shoulder, urging her to climb into the vehicle, Tsuki nodded her head, taking a seat, as Keiko went around to the other side.

"Has much changed since I was gone?" Keiko wondered. It was one thing to hear of things, but another to be faced with seeing them for herself. Kurama smiled, Which Keiko saw flashing back to her from the jeep's overhead mirror. "Not much." He said, turning the ignition and puting the jeep into motion.

Tsuki tuned out the conversation, watching as the rain gradually became harder. Mud, and water sloshed up against the sides of their mode of transportation, giving the vehicle a fresh wet coat that would be washed away over a long night of torrential rain. She was enamored with the rhythmic pattering of the rain along the jeeps metal casing.

Yusuke, who sat in the passenger side seat, took a glance back and noticed the expressive look on her face. "You certainly don't seem put out by all the rain, do you?"  
"Hm…?" It took Tsuki a moment to place his words, as she tore her eyes away from the window. "No, Rain is just another part of life." She stated.

"Mm, its more like weather for ducks…" Yusuke paused, noting the ears perched ontop her head as he flashed her a grin, making an oddly comforting attempt at teasing her. She looked like she needed it. "But you don't look much like a duck." He stated. In actuality, Yusuke had never once seen a duck demon.

Tsuki smiled at him, feeling a little less awkward. "I've never seen one of those before." She admitted, putting the concept to an early grave. Apparently the reason Yusuke had never seen one, was because there were none.

It took roughly a half hour to reach the main house, Kurama going exceptionally slow because of the slick mud. Yusuke spent most of the time idly chatting with their new guest. He rather liked her, despite his earlier notion of her being an insane blood thirsty demon in waiting. 'Total opposite.' Yusuke decided, rounding to the back of the jeep to grab some bags. He could see clear as day why Keiko had been so defensive.

Keiko was ushered Tsuki into the house, while Yusuke and Kurama were left to gather the belongings. "So what do you think?" Yusuke wondered as they walked back towards the house.

"There isn't much to think…we don't even know the whole story yet." Kurama stated, walking inside. He watched as Keiko took a towel, and rubbed it onto Tsuki's hair, leaving it a mess. He hide his snicker at the girls put out expression. "I put dinner in the oven, why don't you go find rooms for yourselves? Keiko will show you to one Tsuki-san." He stated, handing Yusuke his bags. "He'll take the luggage."

Yusuke shot the other boy an annoyed look. "Thanks for volunteering me." He was rewarded with a mischievous smile, before the red head disappeared into the kitchen.

"You don't have to go, I can take the bags myself." Keiko stated, half hoping he would leave it at that. Instead, Yusuke simply shot her a smirk. "She's certainly trying very hard to be rid of me, isn't she Tsuki-chan?" He wondered playfully.

"Oh I'm sure that's not the case." Tsuki responded, looking at him innocently. 'Actually I think she is…but it'd be rude to say something like that.' She chastised herself for her feeble lie. She was really poor at it, so Yusuke was able to see right through it.

Yusuke pouted. "So she is trying to get rid of me? Oh my aching heart!" He moaned dramatically, following Keiko down the hall. She was currently rolling her eyes at his theatrics.

"You don't have a heart." Keiko pointed out, opening a door.

"Of course I don't have a heart. I gave it to you, remember?" Yusuke stated, a smirk crossing his face when Keiko's cheeks tinged a delightful pink. 'Hah! ' She could play as hard to get as she wanted, b ut either way, he'd be the victor.

"You're an idiot." Was the brunette's only response to his comment. "This one will be fine for Tsuki." She took the appropriate bags from him, and set them in the room. "I'll take the one across from her." With that, she snatched her own bags from him and fled to her bed room.

Yusuke pouted. "What do I have the plague or something?" He asked Tsuki, who looked him over once.

"No, I don't see any boils…." Tsuki blinked when he burst out laughing. The saying had gone completely over her head, not surprisingly so either.

Yusuke shook his head and patted her on the back. "Ah, never mind." He coughed putting an end to his boisterous laughter. "I'll explain later." He stated, ushering her to her room. "See you at dinner!" He called, slinking off to bother Kurama. There was no better pastime for Yusuke then annoying someone, with the exception of a good fight, but that went without saying.

Tsuki sat down on the Futon, looking through the bags thoughtfully. She wondered if there was anything she would actually recognize. So far there hadn't been anything familiar that Keiko and Kajiko had packed away. 'Why would they leave me there?' She wondered her chest aching briefly at the thought of her parents not wanting her. Then, there was the concern of having missing memories, how had she ended up in that…'Coffin?' Tsuki was pretty sure that was the word that had been used.

The word coffin was foreign to her. If she had known it was where the dead rested, she would have been thoroughly freaked out. Then there was the issue of being frightened of the dark. That was most definitely new. She'd never been scared of it, prior to waking up. It made her feel alone, and abandoned. If she could remember, things would have been so much easier, but life had never promised to be as such. While she had been deep in thought, her fingers and found a oval object, something about it sparked her interest, and tore her back to reality. In her hand rested a jeweled egg, the outside was covered in amber and rubies.

Tsuki shook the object gently, wondering if there was anything inside. She was rewarded with the sound of something rattling about. As she looked the egg over for a way to open it, a knock come from the other side of the door. It was Yusuke calling her for dinner. "Coming!" She called, forgetting all about the egg as she left the room.

Keiko was the last to join them at the dining table. She'd decided to take a bath before dinner, and had been to busy blow drying her hair to hear Yusuke. Or that's was what she claimed. Yusuke was adamant that she had decided not to hear him. She was quick to reply by calling him, "Delusional."

Tsuki watched as the pair argued back and forth, thoroughly amused. They were worse than her parents, and that was saying something.

"You'll get used to this." Kurama stated in amusement, placing a bowl in front of her. "If you don't mind me asking, why were you sleeping for so long." He took not of the way she played with her chopsticks.

Tsuki bit her lip. "I don't know." She said, fidgeting. "I can't remember what happened before I woke up there….i don't know whether the memories I do have, lead up to when I went to sleep with a small gap…or whether it's a big gap." It made her feel unsettled.

"So then you don't know where you're family is." Yusuke frowned, tearing himself away from the argument.

The girl in question simply shook her head, biting at a piece of meat held between her chopsticks. In the back of her mind, she remembered her mother telling her to be wary of strangers. Tsuki dismissed it in this case though. Keiko was exceptionally nice. 'And she's all I have right now.' She told herself. In a time like this one could not be picky. Besides, she felt safe here.

"I was hoping that if I brought her here, you might be able to figure the whole thing out." Keiko admitted quietly. So far it seemed as though they were no closer to getting the mystery solved.

Kurama shook his head. "I'd like to but there isn't much to go on…Maybe if I saw this place myself I might be able to figure something out." He stated thoughtfully. "But It'll have to wait a month or so, the season's rain is only supposed to get worse." He explained. "Its probably not the best time to be out at Sea."

Keiko nodded her head. "I understand. I'm putting in for a transfer at Tokyo museum, but until I find a replacement, I have to go back to work next week...I'm hoping you'll be able to keep an eye on Tsuki for me?" She requested looking at him hopefully. "If it won't be too much trouble…"

Kurama looked at Tsuki for a moment. She was well mannered and didn't seem like the type to cause much trouble. "I will…." He looked at Yusuke for a moment, before smiling. "With Yusuke's help of course, I'll take her for half the week while you're gone and him the other half."

Yusuke choked on his rice, giving the other male a dirty look. 'You must like volunteering people without permission.' The look went unnoticed by Keiko thankfully.  
"I'd really appreciate it." The brunette admitted, glancing at Yusuke, who immediately brightened up. "I would take her with me, but she's not very good at hiding her attributes." She motioned towards Tsuki's ears. "Ah, that reminds me…You and Tsuki are both Kitsunes right?" Keiko arched a brow at Kurama.

"It appears to be so." Kurama admitted, wondering what she was getting at.

"Well, I'm going to assume that you knew how to conceal yourself…so maybe you could work on it with her?" Keiko flashed him a grin. She knew he wouldn't say no.

Kurama nodded his head silently. "It shouldn't be to hard, we can start a few days from now. I have to be back home before tomorrow afternoon." He explained, finishing his dinner. "Don't forget to call the others." He stated as a reminder. "And Yusuke, you get to do dishes." He flashed the other boy a smirk.

"Tch." Yusuke sulked slightly, but bit back the urge to argue.

Tsuki smiled slightly. "Anno…let me help?" It was the least she could do. Yusuke nodded his head; he wasn't going to turn the offer down. Tsuki helped him gather up the dishes, and followed him into the kitchen.

"You're going to be really surprised about all the changes that have happened while you've been asleep." Yusuke stated, flashing her a grin.

Tsuki smiled slowly. "You mean like plastic and pennies?" She wondered, thinking about the hello kitty figurine.

"Ah, no, no, Things like TV, planes, and video games." Yusuke corrected with exuberance.

Tsuki simply looked at him, the words going through one ear and out the other as she took her part in scrubbing dishes, when they were rinsed, she handed them over to Yusuke who proceeded to dry them and put them away.

"But anyway, what do you think of everything so far?" Yusuke wondered, after placing the last dish into place.

"Its…different." Tsuki admitted, her tail flicking slightly. "I haven't really seen much so far though…but I'm a little worried." She trailed off. "It's like being in another world." She stated quietly. Yusuke hummed and patted her on the head.

"You'll get used to it…do you need me to show you back to you're room?" Yusuke wondered.

Tsuki shook her head and smiled. "Thank you, but no…I can find my way." With that said, she bounded out of the room, feeling a little better about her situation as time went by.

Late that night, Tsuki was lulled to sleep by the pouring rain, and the distant sound of singing birds.

Kinda a boring chapter, but meh, we're picking up speed slowly.

Just so everyone knows…I have not stopped writing. (Prepare for super long A.N!!! *Evil music in the background*) Here's the lowdown on my life at the moment. My uncle is a drug addict, and so is his girlfriend. They just had a baby, and were decided by the state to be unfit parents at the moment. (Thank god.) So the baby is living with us. And I being the lucky dog that I am, have been declared the baby's lady in waiting ( Maid, nanny…diaper changer and bottle maker, caregiver, ect ect ect.) So I had to drop my actual college classes and now am taking them online. Sooo…in short:

I have a baby to take care of, school work to do, my regular chores and my art, along with all my stories and the new ones I'm thinking of . so…Its hard to find time and energy to write D: When every three hours I have to feed, cuddle, wash and change a baby. Once more, I have not quit, nor am I on hiatus…It's just probably going to be a while in between chapters…maybe not like five months a chapter…but maybe a chapter a month, if we're lucky.

I won't lie though…I enjoy the baby . She's cute… I call her Anju. (Which is apparently a pear…I didn't know that…I was thinking of Anju Maaka from Chibi vampire at the time. )

onto talking about the story…Yea…there will be numerous misunderstandings in the beginning on Tsuki's part. A. She's been asleep for centuries, and B. She has the mentality of an eight year old. A very mature eight year old at least. You won't see her throwing any tantrums thank god XD

Anywho I LOVE Everyone who is reading this, even if you don't review . Thanks for your support ladies and gents.( Hint hint..)

So here's to this chapter, and many more, ne?

P.s: Cookies for those who knows where the song comes from. 


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